“‘Will be lucky if…’ – Paul Merson and Roy Keane share the same prediction for Liverpool vs Manchester United clash”

Liverpool will aim to halt their run of three straight defeats when they welcome Manchester United to Anfield on Sunday.

Although the Reds have comfortably finished above their fierce rivals in recent seasons, United have managed to avoid defeat on their last two trips to L4. Liverpool’s most recent home win over the Old Trafford outfit remains the memorable 7–0 triumph in March 2023.

Alisson Becker remains unavailable for selection, but Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that both Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konaté are expected to be fit after recovering from knocks sustained during the international break.

Merson and Keane back Liverpool to bounce back
In his Sportskeeda Premier League predictions column, Paul Merson suggested that Liverpool will be under extra pressure if Arsenal beat Fulham on Saturday, yet he still expects the champions to end their poor run.

“This is one of the biggest games in English football and it’s given us great entertainment recently,” Merson wrote. “Liverpool have lost three on the bounce, and if Arsenal win, this becomes a must-win for them.”

Predicting a 2–0 home victory, he added: “I can’t see Liverpool losing at Anfield. They’ll turn things around, and Manchester United will be fortunate to get anything from this game.”

Roy Keane shared a similar view on The Overlap, forecasting a 3–1 win for Arne Slot’s men.

Liverpool won’t need extra motivation
Facing their biggest rivals while trying to respond to a dip in form gives Liverpool all the incentive they need to deliver a strong performance.

Should Arsenal drop points at Fulham on Saturday—as they have in each of the last two seasons—Liverpool would have the chance to reclaim top spot in the Premier League with a win at Anfield.

Although Manchester United have been missing some key players in training, Ruben Amorim is expected to have most of his squad available as he looks to end their poor away run, which stretches back to August.

If Slot’s team rediscover the form that made them champions last season, they should have the upper hand on Sunday. However, they’ll need a big improvement on recent displays to ensure United leave Anfield empty-handed once again.

We’d certainly take Merson’s prediction of a home win and clean sheet!